Home Transportation Electric Vehicles

Lack of Spare Tire an Issue With Existing and Future Electric Cars

333
0

I never though about it, but it seems (and it makes sense to be so) that current electric and plug-in hybrid cars don’t feature a spare tire anymore. Every other car on the road has it, and only I can tell a few instances when I was literally saved by the spare tire in my trunk, although it’s that small model.

Gas2 reports this fact, and shares the example of a GM Volt user by the nickname of “VoltSoundz” on the company’s forum, who tells people how he hit a pothole and got left without a tire for two weeks, because the Volt comes without a spare tire, and although GM provides you with a rented car and the cost of the tire, you still have to wait for a replacement to arrive in the meantime.

The Volt has an “inflation kit,” though, which is not necessarily of any use when you hit potholes, since the alloy rim can’t be fixed with that. The reason for the lack of a spare tire is that in an electric car, because of the battery, every inch counts and the car’s mileage could be affected by the fact that precious battery space is used by a tire that some people won’t ever use.

The true fact is that the Volt may sell in Eastern European countries or some states where good roads aren’t too good after all. A car can and has to be used by mostly anyone, fact which should stay in the eyes of every car manufacturer along with the image that energy independence should give. Maybe increasing the energy density of car batteries will fix the spare tire issues. Or some other design, more flexible and portable could provide a quick fix (I’m thinking of some foldable tire designers may invent).

(Visited 372 times, 1 visits today)

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.